Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Japan instead of United States, you would:

live 5.3 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Japan, that number is 85 years (82 years for men, 89 years for women).

be 88.1% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Japan, that number is 4.3% of people.

Economy

be 34.1% less likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Japan, that number is 2.9%.

make 28.1% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Japan, the GDP per capita is $42,800.

spend 41.3% more on taxes

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6%. In Japan, the top tax rate is 56.0%.

Life

be 64.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Japan, 5.0 women do.

be 65.5% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Japan, on the other hand, 2.0 children do.

have 38.4% less children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Japan, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people.

Basic Needs

be 20.7% more likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 76.2% of the population has internet access. In Japan, about 92.0% do.

Expenditures

spend 28.0% less on education

United States spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education. Japan spends 3.6% of total GDP on education.

spend 40.4% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Japan, that number is 10.2% of GDP.

Geography

see 49.3% more coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Japan, that number is 29,751 km.

Japan: At a glance

Japan is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 364,485 sq km. In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains a major economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killing thousands and damaging several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters.

How big is Japan compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.